"Xavier…" I called with more urgency and he also seemed to be pulling himself back but it wasn't enough.
I panicked.
"I don't want you as my mate!" I shrieked, shoving him hard. I stumbled back, my chest heaving and my lips tingling.
It worked. Xavier froze, then released me, his eyes darkening. His chest rising and falling.
The atmosphere became even more tensed and heavy as he turned slowly and narrowed his eyes at me.
"What?"
_
Xavier's POV
Her words echoed and struck me like a blade.
she doesn't want me as her mate?
My jaw tightened and I couldn't believe my ears.
Anyone would kill to have me take them as my mate, but a weak omega dared to reject me?
I inhaled sharply, fighting to keep my composure and even Black seemed enraged at her.
Her rejection felt like a slap.
"You…" my voice came out hoarse, edged with fury.
"You don't want me as your mate?" I asked, sure she must have misspoken.
But she simply kept her lips tight.
Her silence hit me harder than any word could. Her eyes stared back at me in fear and she swallowed loudly.
A humorless laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it.
"You are overestimating yourself, Raina Black." I bit out.
"Someone weak and powerless as you can never become my Luna." I said, meaning every word.
The Blackthorn pack has been existing for over a century. The strongest and most powerful rule.
Raina flinched, definitely aware of my anger, and she parted her lips, murmuring out the words to me.
"I don't want to be your Luna either."
"What?"
I expected her to apologize and take back her refusal to be my mate but she is really testing my patience.
If anyone rejects the other,then it should be me doing that.
My arm slowly reached out, and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her already trembling body.
"What makes you even think you are worthy of becoming my mate?" I spat and let go of her.
Her eyes burned up with tears and she fumed quietly at me. The wounds on her is almost healed completely.
"You are not allowed out of this room from now on." I added angrily and bolt out of the room, slamming the door hard.
I made my way into my office still fuming and Stephen waited there patiently with a disturbed look. I raised my brow as I took a seat, expecting him to already have an explanation and he did.
"I traced her scent and found she went out of the house first and went towards the south wing before the Lycan appeared and attacked her."
I bang my fist on the desk, riled to see she truly tried to run away despite how good I have treated her. She is not only ungrateful but stupid.
"Two untamed Lycans loose from the containment kennels. I believe she ran into one of them who saw her as a threat," Stephen explained.
About five ungroomed young Lycans were bought in a few days ago. I couldn't expect that they will break out of their containment.
"Move those Lycans to the underground by morning." I ordered.
"Understood."
"Did you use your blood to save her?" Stephen questioned, his tone upset.
I knew there was no way to hide it from him and if I had let him known beforehand, he would have kicked strongly against it.
"You are harming yourself." he let out, worried.
"You don't have to worry about it." I told him, turning to the email on my phone and sighed in frustration when it didn't say anything about the necklace's location.
The room fell silence for a second then a vice closed around my chest. I gripped my chest, recognizing the familiar torment I have felt in my twenty nine years of living and gasp for air.
"Alpha?"
Stephen's voice blurred in my ears and I clawed at the desk for balance, my hands fumbling for the pill drawer.
Stephen found it before I did and opened the bottle, giving me of the red pills to me.
I swallowed and waited and the pain slowly dissipated.
"Are you okay?" Stephen asked.
"It's fine." I replied, waving it off. Sweats formed on my forehead in that short moment and I slowly wipe them off.
"Why are you having an episode today? The full moon is still a week away." Stephen asked, worried.
I closed my eyes for a second, suspecting it's the effect from feeding my blood to Raina and exhaled quietly.
"You don't have to worry about it. I'm fine." I lied.
It's the first time the sickness is acting out.
At least before I die, I want to make sure Clara is healed.
"Fire the new doctor and find a sorcerer."
"You hate sorcerers." Stephen pointed out and shook his head in concern.
A sorcerer was my last resort for Clara because of how much I hate them. I planned to find one only if I don't have a hope anymore.
"You are not going to die." Stephen said with a grim look.
I chuckled, and assured him I'm not dying soon.
"Then why don't you sever the mate bond?" Stephen suggested.
"The full moon is in a few days. It's better to think of yourself first."
"No." I shook my head in disagreement, leaving no room for further discussion.
Raina is just eighteen and weak. If I tried to sever our mate bond even before she gets to the official age then she will undergo an excruciating pain worse than death.
"Xavier?"
Clara's voice came through the door and she entered soon after.
"Why are you still up?"
"I thought to wait and make sure Raina is fine. After all, I'm also responsible for her mistake." she answered and paused for a moment.
"How is she? Is she going to survive the night?" she stressed.
"She is not dying." I assured her, seeing how restless she is and saw her eyes flickered with disbelief.
"Really? She is not?"
"Hmm"
"I thought that… her wounds were severe." she mouthed.
"She is not going to die unless I let her." I muttered, intending the words for myself and dismiss Stephen to go work on relocating the untamed Lycans.
"You should retire for the night as well, you must be tired." Clara said and that's when I realize she is still standing in front of me.
"Okay," I told her, although I have no intention to do that anytime soon.
"Goodnight." she said and closed the door behind her.
_
Clara's POV
The smile on my face faded the moment I stepped out of Xavier's office and I pondered on Stephen's words. He definitely mentioned the word, mate.
My Lycan growled low beneath my skin, restless and angry.
Ken was waiting in the kitchen, exactly where I expected him. I didn't give him the time to speak before grabbing him and slamming him into the floor.
His breath whooshed out and he grunt lowly despite the hit.
"You were supposed to make sure she died," I hissed, grabbing his shirt and yanking him up again.
"But somehow, she manages to survive."
Ken winced.
"I was scared the Alpha would find out I attacked her," he stammered.
I tilted my head, considering.
Coward.
I released him and stepped back.
"Did you at least find out who she is?" I questioned.
"She is an omega from Ironclaw pack," he said, panting.
"She was sold at an auction by her uncle, Alpha Marcus."
"Ironclaw?" I muttered, recalling the widespread story of an Alpha's daughter that fell from grace to grass a few years ago.
No wonder she is so weak. But why would Xavier buy an omega all of a sudden?
He clearly went to Ironclaw to research about the moonstone necklace, why bring her back with him?
"Continue to watch her and see if there is anything special about her. There must be a reason Xavier bought her back."
"If anything goes wrong then you can forget all about the antidote." I warned and he scurried away faster than a cat.